Grammy’s Old-Fashioned Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake Recipe is an original made-from-scratch family recipe that was legend in our house growing up. The subtle crème brûlée burnt sugar flavor is incorporated into both the cake and icing. This chiffon cake is light and moist.
The burnt sugar flavor of this cake reminds me of caramel, but has a lighter, delicate and more complex flavor. This cake is tender, delicious and addictive. It’s nearly impossible to stop at one slice!
My paternal Grammy was a Mainer and an excellent baker at that. For a time she and my Grampy set the alarm for 3 a.m. every day to make fresh doughnuts they delivered by wagon a few hours later in the neighborhood to help make ends meet. While my Grammy was never rich in dollars, she had many gifts.
She was kind. She had an incredible green thumb and could arrange flowers like a blue ribbon florist. She nosed out the best deal at a yard sale like nobody’s business. And she was an excellent baker. We still make some of her favorite recipes today: hermit cookies from the Maine bakery where she worked, and this Old Fashioned Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake Recipe.
My Grammy requested this Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake for her birthday and often made it for my dad’s because it was his favorite too. A few weeks ago my mom and I were talking about my dad’s upcoming 78th birthday, and before I knew it, I’d opened my big mouth and offered to make him this cake for the party.
The truth is, I’d never made the cake before. It always fell to my Grammy or Mom to make it. There’s a first time for everything and I really did enjoy the process of baking this cake. (And I have new respect for the baking skills of my mom and grandmother.) I’m also grateful that my mom carefully preserved my Grammy’s original recipe for many decades so I can share it here with you today.
I want to be very clear about this recipe. It’s not for inexperienced bakers. It has a number of sequenced steps and is not a quick cake to whip together. That being said, it is has an amazingly delicate burnt sugar flavor that’s nearly impossible to replicate.
It’s worth every bit of time and effort but you’ll definitely need to pay close attention to each step. If you are planning to make this cake for a special event, I highly recommend doing a test run first. It’s the burnt sugar syrup that can be tricky.
The first, most critical step is making the burnt sugar syrup on the stovetop. (And not burning it.) The burnt sugar syrup takes a total of 10-15 minutes to make.
You are slowly melting sugar over low heat on the stovetop. After all the sugar is melted, it looks like the picture above. It should be a medium golden brown color.
After you (very carefully) slowly whisk in the boiling water, the burnt sugar syrup should become smooth and amber colored, without lumps. (See above.) Set it aside and cool completely for use in the cake batter and icing. The syrup will thicken as it cools to nearly the consistency of honey.
Preheat oven to 325°. Then sift flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl. Make a “well” in the center of the flour mixture and add, in order: cooking oil, unbeaten egg yolks, 1/3 cup cooled burnt sugar syrup, cold water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mix egg yolk batter, stirring by hand until just combined and set aside.
Separately, in a larger mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. (Do not under beat!)
Gently pour egg yolk batter over the stiffly beaten egg whites.
Very gently combine the stiffly beaten egg whites with the egg yolk batter, using a rubber spatula. The idea is to keep the batter very light and airy and break as few of the air bubbles in the stiffly beaten egg whites as possible.
When your batter is just combined and looks light and airy like this, transfer it to an ungreased 10″ x 4″ tube cake pan and bake immediately.
I use a two piece tube pan, because it’s so much easier to remove from the pan later.
Bake cake for 60-70 minutes at 325°, ’til cake is golden brown and cracked on top and a cake tester comes out clean. (Be careful not to check the cake too early, you don’t want it to fall while baking.)
Remove cake from oven, and immediately hang upside down on the top of a glass vinegar or mineral water bottle to cool. (It’s a good idea to find a glass bottle in your pantry ahead of time to insure that the hole of your cake pan will fit onto it.)
Mix together burnt sugar frosting with an electric mixer until smooth.
When chiffon cake is completely cooled, remove from glass bottle. Using a very sharp knife, carefully separate the cake from the cake pan on the sides, around the center tube and the bottom. Turn cake out onto a cake platter. Brush the crumbs off, then frost with a very thin coat of icing to capture any remaining crumbs. Let set. Then frost with a regular layer of the Burnt Sugar Icing.
Tips to make this Old-Fashioned Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake Recipe:
- Make the burnt sugar syrup on the stovetop first. Do not walk away from the stove during this process. Allow about 15-2o minutes total for this process, then set aside to cool.
- Sift together the dry ingredients, then hand mix together with the egg yolks and wet ingredients.
- Separately, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until very stiff. (For great tips from my baking friend Liz on separating eggs and beating egg whites, click here.)
- Gently incorporate the egg yolk cake batter into the stiff egg whites and bake immediately.
- Remove the cake from the oven and turn upside down onto a glass bottle to cool. (A glass vinegar or perrier bottle works well.)
- When cake is completely cool, remove from the glass bottle and loosen all edges with a sharp knife. Remove from the pan.
- Frost with Burnt Sugar Icing.
- Use an electric knife or a metal tined angel food cake cutter to slice. (This will keep the cake from getting crushed while serving.)
Old-Fashioned Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Burnt Sugar Syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Burnt Sugar Cake:
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 7 large egg yolks unbeaten
- 1/3 cup cooled burnt sugar syrup
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Burnt Sugar Icing:
- 3 1/2 cups powdered confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 7-8 tablespoons burnt sugar syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons half and half or cream or as much as needed for spreading consistency
Instructions
Burnt Sugar Syrup:
- Please allow about 15-20 minutes to make the burnt sugar syrup. Do not hurry the process and don't walk away from the stove.
- In a heavy saucepan with high sides (not a frying pan and not cast iron), melt 1 1/2 cups sugar over low heat on the stovetop until melted completely, stirring often.
- The mixture will be thick and a medium brown color when all the sugar is melted.
- The goal is a thick syrup without any hard sugar lumps in it.
- (I had a few stubborn lumps that absolutely refused to melt and I finally removed them with a slotted spoon.)
- Remove mixture from the heat.
- Very very slowly, whisk in 3/4 cup boiling water.
- The mixture will bubble up a lot and may spatter as you add the boiling water. (Be very careful, the mixture is extremely hot.)
- Whisk all the boiling water in until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it. You don't want any lumps in it.
- If it has lumps at this point, strain them out with a slotted spoon.
- Set aside the mixture to cool completely and reserve for later use in the cake and icing.
- The burnt sugar syrup will thicken to nearly the consistency of honey as it cools.
Burnt Sugar Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Sift together flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the flour mixture and add these ingredients to the well in this order:
- Cooking oil, unbeaten egg yolks, 1/3 cup burnt sugar syrup, 1/4 cup cold water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Stir ingredients together until just mixed and set aside.
- Separately, in a large mixing bowl, with an electric beater, beat 7 large egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar until egg whites form very stiff peaks.
- VERY IMPORTANT: Do not underbeat.
- Pour egg yolk batter gradually over whipped egg whites, very gently folding it in with a rubber scraper. The idea is not to break the delicate bubbles of the egg whites.
- Immediately pour into an ungreased 10" X 4" tube pan and bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes.
- Remove cake from oven, and turn tube pan upside down over a glass bottle to cool completely. (A glass vinegar or perrier bottle does the trick.)
- When cake is completely cooled, loosen all edges including around the center tube with a sharp knife and turn cake out of the pan onto a cake platter.
- Ice with Burnt Sugar Icing.
Burnt Sugar Icing:
- Cream softened butter with electric mixer until it's creamy and there are no lumps.
- Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in a second cup of powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in 7-8 tablespoons Burnt Sugar Syrup.
- Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
- Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons half and half or cream.
- Add more or less cream if needed for spreading consistency.
- Frost cake.
- Cut with a serrated or electric knife or use a metal tined angel food cake cutter.
You may also like: Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Denise Q. says
Oh my goodness, that looks amazing. If anyone needs a tester for their trial run, I’m available M-S!
Liz says
Wow! It looks like you’ve been baking this for years! It’s utter perfection. I love the long family history of this delectable dessert!!
P.S. Thanks for the mention! xo
Balvinder says
love the cake and love your tenacity to make the perfect cake!
Linda says
I was always fascinated when m mom hung her angel food cake upside down on a gingerale bottle. It never fell out! She also made a cake similar to this one. I must make this now. Thanks for sharing.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Mum Collins says
Oh my heart Allie!! My Grammy used to make this for birthdays! What great memories! I’ll leave your expertise to making this but would love the recpie for Hermits! Another sweet memory from the past!
Allie says
Oh I’m so thrilled you have wonderful memories of this cake too, Donna. Isn’t it divine? Funny how our Grammys both made this for birthdays. Must be a New England thing. The hermits recipe I will def. be sharing in the not too distant future. They were her favorite cookies and they don’t last long around here.
Shashi at Savory Spin says
Oh my word! Am speechless! When I read “subtle crème brûlée burnt sugar flavor is incorporated into both the cake and icing” of this chiffon cake, my knees buckled just a bit! Wow! Swoon-central here! I’ve never had a cake with burnt sugar – but can imagine how amazing this is! What a lovely treat for your dad’s 78th birthday, Allie and your grammy would be so proud to see what an amazing job you did at replicating her recipe. Do you need help packing? Cos, I’ll come help ya – for a teensy slice of this cake? I’ll even bring the coffee and utensils so you can pack yours?! 🙂
Happy Wednesday to you – seriously, I hope packing is going smoothly for y’all – and Happy birthday to your dad!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
Oh man – if this was a legend in your house growing up, it HAS to be good! It looks fabulous, Allie!
Kelsie | itsy-bitsy kitchen says
Oh my WORD this looks amazing! That frosting. . .I’m drooling on my keyboard. My grandma always made angel food cakes and that picture of your cake inverted on the bottle made me think of her :).
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
What a very special treat this cake must be — it’s absolutely amazing, and I’ve never seen anything like it! I’m so glad you have your grandmother’s recipe. Family recipes are the BEST, and glad to see you’ve perfected making this cake, too! ❤️
Adina says
Grandma’s recipes are the best, aren’t they? I think I would like to try this, I don’t mind it being challenging, I actually enjoy the process of baking even more if the cake is a bit trickier or labourious to make. 🙂 Creme brulee is one of my favorite dessert and if this cake tastes even remotely like creme brulee I am sure I would love it. 🙂
Adina says
Oh, and I forgot. If you are visiting Romania, you should definitely visit Sibiu, my hometown, it is the most beautiful one in Romania if you ask me, medieval and colorful and it has more life and culture going on then the rest of the country put together. And the Donau Delta is a paradise, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. 🙂
Allie says
Oh thank you SO MUCH for these recommendations, Adina. Just what I needed to know. I’ll have to let you know if/when I end up going on that trip. I would love to visit your hometown and the Donau Delta – sound wonderful! XOXO
Allie says
Thank you Adina – so glad to know this great information! Can’t wait! xo
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Grandmothers always made the best desserts, right?! At least mine did and it sure looks like yours did as well! I LOVE that this is a family favorite and such a special dessert, Allie. It looks and sounds incredibly delicious! I mean, you totally had me at burnt sugar!! YUM! I’m in awe over the cake hanging upside down suspended over a bottle!!! CRAZY! This looks like a super fun cake to make… but I like baking, so? 🙂 Can’t wait to try this! Thank you for sharing, sweets! Cheers! xo
Lorinda - The Rowdy Baker says
I just LOVE chiffon cakes, and this is a real beauty. Thank you for sharing your grandma’s recipe with us. Love it.
Allie says
Thank you so much Lorinda! I had never made a chiffon cake before. So excited how this one turned out. So glad you dropped by, thank you!
Carina says
Hi Allie, it was so lovely to read about your grammy . It’s clear that she was a wonderful person with many talents. My goodness, that cake looks incredible. How lovely that you offered to make it for your father’s 78th birthday, and that you are keeping the tradition of this cake in your family. Beautiful! Xoxo
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Grandmother’s recipes are the most precious ones. Glad that you shared your family favorite and such a special dessert with us, Allie. It looks is pretty and the flavors sound so intriguing. and sounds incredibly delicious! And so much in love with that bottle technique for hanging cake. You know what, I have never made any burnt sugar cake, so I will have to try this one. 🙂
Catherine says
Dear Allie, this cake is absolutely stunning! I am going to do a test run since my daughter’s birthday is coming up and I’ve been trying to find a cake to make her. I would love to give this a try…the burnt sugar is just marvelous. I have never seen a cake placed upside down like that..what an interesting trick! Saving this for later. I cannot wait to try and I will let you know how it comes out. Wishing you a beautiful and relaxing weekend…hugs to you dear, Catherine xoxo
Kellie says
ooooooh YUM I can’t wait to try this !!!
Karen (Back Road Journal_ says
Your grammy sounds like an amazing lady and I’m sure she would be so pleased if she knew her recipe has now been passed down to another generation. You did a wonderful job, it looks wonderful. I would love it if you post her hermit cookie recipe someday. I had a friend in New Hampshire who used to make them every Thanksgiving but would not part with her recipe.
Eva says
Oh la la! Cet gâteau est juste incroyable!! Il est parfait! XO
Tracy says
I some how missed this post! I am so glad that I found it!! I’ve heard about this cake for quite awhile now and I have heard about your wonderful Grammy. You have now put the missing pieces together for me about your Grammy and her scrumptious cake. Thank you for sharing a wonderful story and a very special recipe!! Now off I go to try and replicate what I saw in those gorgeous pictures. ??
http://resumeperk.com/blog/pros-and-cons-to-make-online-resume says
It looks delicious. I would like to make something like this in the future. This is a sort of a dessert I liked a lot!
Bethany Huskey says
This cake sounds delightful! This may be proposterous to ask, but could it be made into cupcakes by chance? Any tips welcomed!
Thank you! Either way, it will be made in this house soon!
Bethany
Allie says
Hi Bethany – I never thought to make this recipe into cupcakes – but what a great idea – I’d LOVE to enjoy this cake in cupcake form. I have no tips from experience because I haven’t tried it, but my suggestion would be to try it as a cake first, paying close attention to how much it rises. I think it rises a good bit. You would want to be careful about how much batter goes into each up so it doesn’t overflow your muffin pan in the oven. But since this cake cools upside down on a glass bottle, I don’t know how you’d do that w/cupcakes without smushing them…hmmm…I’ll definitely let you know if I think of any bright ideas. So glad you dropped by, and hope you enjoy my Grammy’s burnt sugar chiffon cake.
Kathleen Wickes says
I have this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens 1960s cookbook. I made this cake almost 30 years ago and loved it! Then I lost the recipe. I finally found it again. Your cake looks as yummy as I remember. I do have a question about the flour. It calls for Two cups sifted flour but then it requires you to sift the flour with the dry ingredients. Does this mean that the flour gets sifted twice?
Allie says
Hi Kathleen – thanks – this recipe has been in my family as well for many years. I don’t sift the flour twice, I just sift it with the dry ingredients. This is my dad’s favorite cake and I often make it for his birthday. Hope you enjoy!
Bonnie says
My mom made a Burnt Sugar cake… it was not a chiffon although o loved it… it was always a tad coarse and dry. I will attempt your Grammys cake.